


It’s Only Natural

by Hideous_Sun_Demon



Category: Designated Survivor (TV)
Genre: Emotions? What emotions?, Light Angst, M/M, Post Finale, Smut, ’We almost died’ sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 05:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16130156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hideous_Sun_Demon/pseuds/Hideous_Sun_Demon
Summary: After Seth and Lyor nearly died, they needed three things: a drink, some sleep, and each other.





	It’s Only Natural

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at smut, so....be warned.

There was no conversation between them in the cab ride from the airport- back to their homes, not the White House. Tomorrow would be their most hectic day since the one after the Capitol bombing, but for tonight Aaron had decided to take mercy on them, and he’d ordered both Seth and Lyor to get a decent night’s sleep instead. It was a good thing- Seth wasn’t going to be worth a decent lick of work until he got a chance to shower off the sweat and terror from the day before and get some sleep that wasn’t a jet lagged nightmare. As for Lyor, he had been twitching since the moment Seth had found him, eager to put his hands and mind to something; but when Seth had told him they could go home, he’d followed him to the cab without protest.

Seth shot him a glance, and he could have sworn he caught Lyor looking at him. But the man turned his head away with a quick flash of his glasses, and Seth said nothing.

Seth’s apartment block was the closer of the two, so when they pulled up to the curb he got to leave Lyor in the cab as he dug out his luggage. Lyor didn’t even glance in his direction. Seth should have waved him off, gone upstairs and passed out for what would probably be the longest sleep he’d get in months. But instead, he found himself leaning in over the open door.

“Come up for a drink?” he heard himself ask. He didn’t know why. Really, drinking alcohol- or doing anything but sleeping- right then was probably a terrible idea. But hey, Seth respected his own legacy of making godawful decisions at every opportunity, so he gazed down at Lyor, waiting for a response. The truth was, as tired as he felt, Seth didn’t want to be alone just yet. He had the awful, sinking feeling that if he was left to his own silence, all he would hear would be the roaring rush of the water, still not loud enough to drown out the screams of the people who couldn’t run fast enough.

That, and the pounding of his own heart in his ears; the sound that hadn’t gone away until he’d found Lyor. So, yeah, maybe he didn’t want the guy to leave just yet.

Lyor squinted up at him, expression infuriatingly unreadable. After a few seconds of excruciating silence, Seth half wished he would say no, if only to end the awkwardness. Seth wondered, not for the first time, why he didn’t just tape up his stupid goddamn mouth and be done with it. But lo and behold, Lyor gave a quick little nod and hopped out of the cab faster than Seth could blink. Soon enough, they were standing on the sidewalk together, luggage in hand with the cab driving off, and Seth realised that while he’d wanted Lyor to say yes, he’d never actually thought he would. He was going to have to improvise this next step. Inviting a friend up for a drink shouldn’t have felt this daunting, but Lyor never made anything normal, did he?

Lyor didn’t say a word as they went up to the apartment. The only words Seth could get out of him were a mumbled: “That’s fine,” when Seth offered his bottle of Macallan 18. It was....really fucking weird, honestly. Seth hadn’t thought Lyor had an off-switch- he had been talk-talk-talk since Seth had found him in Taurasi, but over the course of their flight home til now, it had petered out into nothing, as if Lyor was holding something back. It suited Seth though- he didn’t quite know what to say anyway.

But, Seth realised as he turned to hand Lyor a glass of scotch, Lyor might not have been talking, but Seth hadn’t been imagining things- he was definitely watching him.

Seth sighed into his glass, savouring the burning taste of it racing down his throat. One beer in Taurasi had done the trick for the tsunami and the President’s re-election announcement, but after hearing that Emily had resigned while they were gone, Seth needed this more than air. Lyor seemed to read his thoughts, because he took a sip of scotch with a scowl before saying:

“We’re going to be facing fire from all sides now, you know.”

Seth winced in agreement, but he still managed a little grin. “Still, it beats nearly dying.”

He instantly regretted it as he saw the lines around Lyor’s mouth tighten. All of a sudden, he remembered the look on Lyor’s face when he’d first found him searching. He’d never seen anything like it on him, and Seth was now viciously glad that he’d invited Lyor up. He watched him now, studying the smooth column of his throat as Lyor downed half his drink in one impressive go. Lyor placed his glass down then, and took one large, very deliberate step towards Seth. They held each other’s gaze for a stretching moment, and Seth got the sudden feeling that he was hurtling down a highway with no brakes.

The pounding in his ears was back.

“Things are getting pretty crazy, huh?” Seth said, throat oddly dry. He wanted to wash that sensation away with another swallow, but suddenly Lyor was pulling the glass from his hands and setting it down. Seth almost thought to protest, but any sound he could have made died instantly, because Lyor was stepping forward again, and he was kissing him.

The kiss was deep, sweet and whiskey-rich, and Seth started kissing back without even thinking about it. It was a few seconds of soft lips and the barest hint of tongue before Lyor pulled away. There seemed to be a split-second flurry of activity in his mind as he ran a tongue over his lips, going over a dozen calculations Seth couldn’t fathom, before he set his jaw and fixed him with a stare, bright and decisive; waiting for a response.

“Oh,” Seth said instead, because any of his brain cells that weren’t already destroyed by stress had definitely just been fried. He swallowed roughly. “I...didn’t think you’d want this,” he mumbled. Seth had thought about this, caught himself staring at Lyor, more than he’d care to admit- but Lyor had always been looking at, thinking about, chasing something else. But now Lyor was here, fingers fisting into his shirt right above his hammering heart.

“Then stop thinking,” Lyor ordered, and it was the best suggestion Seth had heard all day.

They fell together into another scorching kiss, teeth scraping against lips in desperation as they stumbled over against the wall. Seth felt like he should take a moment to question how they had even ended up in this situation, but he was also pretty sure he was incapable of thought at the moment, what with the way all the blood in his body was quickly descending to other regions. Maybe Lyor had thought about this too, or maybe he just didn’t want to be alone either- fine, whatever. All Seth knew was that the numbing shock of his near-death experience was fading, and he needed to feel his heart pumping again, because the other option was possibly having a minor panic attack.

He had a hand fisted in Lyor’s curls, and he tightened his grip as the other man pressed aggressive kisses down the length of his neck, heating the hollow of his throat. There was a fumbling of cloth and metal, and he realised with a flush that Lyor was in the process of trying to unbuckle Seth’s belt. He chuckled, gently untangling Lyor’s hands from his waistband. Lyor scowled at him.

“Bedroom,” Seth whispered hoarsely into his ear, nodding in the direction before kissing Lyor hard and unrelenting. He wasn’t surprised that Lyor was rushing to the action. He was never one for social niceties, and had the patience of an untrained puppy. But what Seth didn’t expect was the needy little gasp that escaped the man’s lips as they pulled apart, and the sound had Seth’s cock twitching demandingly underneath the constricting fabric of his trousers.

Usually, Seth liked a little more foreplay, would have taken this to the couch instead. But right now, all he could think about was how he could get as close to Lyor as possible, as quickly as possible, and that meant removing these infuriating layers of clothing. They tripped their way in through to Seth’s bedroom, pulling away from each other only enough to start pulling off clothing. Lyor had already tossed his t shirt to the floor- it was the ugliest goddamn thing Seth had ever seen, but now he wished he’d had the foresight to wear something similar as he struggled with his line of buttons. With an impatient little noise, Lyor pulled Seth to him and undid the last few for him with nimble fingers, and even as Seth was shrugging the shirt off, Lyor had lunged for his neck again. The guy really seemed to have a thing for the area, but Seth couldn’t criticise, not when he was toying with that one spot- _oh god._

The wet warmth of Lyor’s mouth was interrupted by a sudden sharpness of teeth though, and Seth’s eyes snapped open.

“Woah, no, no, no-“ he yelped, pushing Lyor off slightly.

Lyor jerked away as if he’d been burned, wet lips parted in question and eyes narrowed in alarm.

“Press,” Seth explained stupidly, grateful that his lust-dumb brain at least still had future-Seth’s back. “Can’t have a-a hickey.”

The concern slid instantly from Lyor’s face, replaced with a wolfish grin as he latched onto Seth’s collarbone instead, worrying his teeth lightly into the skin and causing a bloom of pleasure-pain to erupt. Seth moaned- he couldn’t help himself- and with Lyor still clinging onto him they struggled out of shoes and trousers and- finally!- boxers, until they were skin to skin, flush and hard against each other. Seth’s cock throbbed impatiently, the friction of being pressed against Lyor’s hot belly almost too much to bear, and he tipped them back onto the bed. Lyor’s glasses tumbled off, and Seth let out a snort as he cast them over to the bedside table before rolling on top of Lyor.

Seth enjoyed the feel of Lyor beneath him more than he ever could have imagined. The suits he always wore didn’t do him justice- they made him look more or less like a bean pole, but all that fabric hid surprisingly lean muscle, and Seth appreciatively ran his hands over it as it rippled beneath him; travelling from slender shoulders to smooth chest to flat stomach and below.

And that surprising strength got a chance to show itself off as Lyor suddenly flipped them both over, pushing Seth into the pillows with a thump as he straddled him decisively, arms bracketing his shoulders. Seth didn’t even blink- he knew, without having to ask, that Lyor needed to be in control of this. It was in the way he buried his teeth in Seth’s shoulder again, fierce and desperate. Seth let out a hiss. That was definitely going to leave a mark.

“Possessive, aren’t you?” he murmured.

“You like it,” Lyor growled against his skin. _Well, he definitely had that right_ , Seth thought foggily as his whole body shuddered in pleasure. What he liked even more though, was the answering shiver he got from above as he wrapped his hand around Lyor’s cock. It was already slick, leaking precome- Lyor had made this easy for him. Seth pumped it agonisingly slow as he ran a thumb along the shaft, teasingly swirling around the tip and savouring the cut off little whimper he got in return.

“Seth-“ Lyor panted, and the break in his voice sent a thrill through Seth’s body. “I need-“

“In the drawer,” Seth gasped, not needing any further clarification. Lyor reaches blindly for the bedside table, tossing stuff out with abandon- who gave a fuck? Seth could clean it up later- until he pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom. Seth reluctantly dropped his hand so Lyor could slide it on, and he took the moment to appreciate, heavy lidded, the sight above him- because it really was a sight. Lyor, his lips red and swollen from their biting kisses, wild curls spilling out into sweaty clumps over his forehead, and most of all, the way he was gazing at Seth; all unguarded and full of raw emotion. There was something so soft, so unfamiliar in his eyes, that Seth couldn’t place it.

It was funny, he mused dazedly. Lyor could always be trusted to tell the truth, no matter how unwelcome- until it really mattered, and especially to himself. Seth wondered if Lyor knew this was the most honest he had ever looked.

There was the sound of lube squirting out, and Seth choked out a gasp as Lyor’s first finger worked its way inside him with no warning, the cold touch making him jump. It felt good- and honestly, with as turned on as he was right now, any sort of touch was a fucking godsend- but still, a little clumsy in a way Seth wouldn’t have expected; a little unsure. He had to wonder how long it had been since Lyor had done this. But Lyor was making up for it with sheer enthusiasm- and the guy was a quick study. He kept flicking his eyes back to Seth, the burning gaze cataloguing every minute twitch of the face to make sure he was doing it right. The earnestness of it was kind of endearing.

And _really fucking hot_. Seth writhed helplessly as Lyor worked in a second finger, carefully stretching him out and sending fissures of pleasure shooting through him. Oh god, he really, _really_ needed this. He flexed his grip against Lyor’s shoulders just as a particularly sensitive touch lit up stars in his vision, and above him, Lyor smirked a little. He crooked his fingers, hitting that particular spot again and watched as Seth bucked before-

Seth glared up desperately at Lyor as he stopped his movements completely, a whine clawing at the back of his throat. Before, he’d glimpsed a Lyor he’d never met before, but Seth recognised that smirk. This was the same cocky bastard he knew so well.

“Lyor- ah, fuck-“

“I’m getting there,” Lyor murmured, spreading his fingers with painful slowness, and won a stuttered gasp for his troubles. Lyor’s eyes above him were dark and heavy lidded, those gorgeous, infuriating lips of his parted as he watched Seth squirm. He seemed almost addicted to the sight, like he was trying to commit this moment to memory.

Seth let out a growl. “Stop holding back, you unbearable fucking tease.”

He looped his arms around Lyor’s neck, pulling him flush against him and capturing him in a starving kiss. He was tired of waiting- of that tension that seemed to have been coiled in his stomach since he’d separated from Lyor in Taurasi. He needed them together now. No more fucking around.

Lyor let out a shaky breath against his lips. For once, he seemed to be in complete agreement.

Tragically, Lyor had to slide his fingers out of Seth, but this time he didn’t waste a second; he pushed into Seth, and a sigh ripped from him that rocked his whole body. Seth arched against the mattress, letting an uncontrollable stream of curses and pleas and god knows what else escape his mouth as he dug blunt fingernails into Lyor’s back. Maybe he could leave some marks of his own.

They settled into a rhythm, feverishly fast and just as desperate. With Lyor pressed this close to him, Seth could feel the violent drumming of his heartbeat against his chest. It was intoxicating. He’d thought, before, that he’d just needed the rush, but god, that didn’t even come close. He needed this; Lyor, Lyor with him, reminding him that they’d both made it through, were both still together. It was all coming in steady aftershocks now, the realisation of how close Seth had come to losing him. Lyor must have been feeling it too, from how tightly he was gripping him.

Seth felt like he was leaving a message in Lyor’s skin. _I’m alive,_ he was writing. _I’m alive, and so are you_. He wanted to say: _We’re alive; so kiss me._

He was still pulling Lyor tight against him, pressing kisses to his neck, his collarbone, his chest; and with the other man so close, Seth could feel the way he was tensing all over. There was already a pressure coiling dark and hungry inside himself, almost too much to bear, and Seth drove himself up into Lyor’s thrusts, desperate for the release that he knew was coming, just, just-

“Lyor,” Seth stuttered out. “Lyor, Lyor, I’m gonna-“ Lyor’s lips moved wordlessly against his, but Seth still felt his fervent nods.

Seth mouthed soundless gasps against Lyor’s sweat-damp shoulder as he came, shuddering through the steady waves of his climax. Lyor only lasted a second longer- something Seth had half a mind to feel smug about- and he buckled against Seth as his body twitched from head to toe. His head landed in the crook of Seth’s shoulder; spent.

All of a sudden, Seth felt the brush of Lyor’s mouth at his neck again. But this time there was no graze of teeth; just the light press of lips against his pulse point, holding steady. They lay silently like that for a long, long moment. Lyor, Seth realised, was trembling slightly. He traced a hand delicately down the length of his spine, but more than anything, he had the sudden, surprising urge to pull Lyor tightly against him, wrap him up in his arms like he’d tried to yesterday.

But Lyor, like always, had other plans. Seth’s touch seemed to have shaken him out of his stupor, and he promptly rolled off of Seth. He gave the mess on Seth’s stomach a dubious look and wordlessly wiped it up with a couple of tissues from the nightstand. Seth hid his surprise with a smile of thanks. He heard the sounds of Lyor tossing the condom in the bin by his closet, but it was all hard to pay attention to with his mind still floating in a post-sex haze. All he could focus on was Lyor.

Lyor was dead quiet again, fingers flexing against the mattress. Something about it was so un-Lyor-like it was worrying. Seth hesitantly turned to face him. “You okay?” he asked impulsively.

The reply was instant. “Of course I’m okay,” Lyor said, blinking slowly.

“Of course,” Seth echoed with a wry smile. The words almost made him sad. Seconds ago, Lyor had been stripped of all his jokes, and his snark, and his jagged wit. For once in his life, he’d actually been- not just honest, but open. Now, Seth could almost see the walls going back up in real-time, ones he hadn’t always even realised existed.

God, and he used to think Lyor just didn’t care.

They lay side by side, stuck in that awkward, unfamiliar silence again. Seth didn’t know what he’d see if he looked at Lyor’s face right then, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to, so he glanced at where their knees were softly knocking against each other over the blankets instead. In the slowly filtering light, Seth could make out fresh bruises littering Lyor’s knees- he must have tripped over debris while searching. They looked light, but enough to hurt. Enough to make Seth feel guilty, and so, so grateful.

He finally dared himself to glance over. Lyor was staring at the ceiling, expression unreadable.

“Hey,” Seth said softly. “I really am glad you’re alright.”

Lyor slowly turned his head to face him. “I know you are,” he finally said, licking his lips. Seth hadn’t really expected Lyor to say it back, and he didn’t need him to. He could still feel the heat from Lyor’s lips lingering against his neck, right over his fluttering heartbeat.

Because this was apparently going to be a day of doing things he couldn’t explain, Seth reached a hand up, brushing a gentle thumb across Lyor’s bottom lip, all red and glistening and pursed, lingering a second before dropping his hand back to the mattress.

For a moment, something of that vulnerability from before flitted across Lyor’s face again. Seth reacted on instinct, leaning across to kiss him- not on the lips, not properly, but at the corner of his mouth. Seth pulled away, eyes closed, and when he opened them again, Lyor’s expression was shuttered once more.

“I need a shower,” was all he said before grabbing his glasses and sliding away, leaving Seth alone with the clinging tiredness that he’d forgotten until now. Seth stayed stretched out on the bed, listening to the running of the shower and then, after Lyor returned, watching the other man put his clothes back on with his back turned. Before Lyor pulled his shirt on, Seth caught a glimpse of those same bruises dotting all the way from his shoulder blades to the small of his back. Seth had a sudden urge to get up, reach over and touch them.

But then Lyor spun around, and the moment passed. He had that old, crooked little half-smile of his fixed on his face, and Seth felt dizzied by the whiplash of it all. But for the first time that day, Seth wasn’t surprised. He hadn’t been supposed to see the Lyor from before; Lyor overwhelmed, Lyor.... _scared_. And maybe Lyor hoped that if he slipped back into his old routine of nonchalant distance, Seth would forget, and they’d go back to what was safe between them.

“So, back to the trenches tomorrow,” Lyor said, still smiling tightly, perhaps a little more strained than normal.

“Yeah,” Seth murmured. “I guess so.”

 _If he asks,_ Seth thought quietly, _I’ll tell him to stay_. _If he asks._ Lyor had to be in control, and Seth wasn’t going to push that. Especially when he didn’t even know what he was feeling at that moment himself.

Another beat of silence, their gazes locked, and Lyor didn’t say anything. Seth levelled him with a knowing sort of smile, and an understanding seemed to pass between them. Lyor ducked his head, but not before Seth caught his own tight smirk softening into something else. But then he turned, and it was out of sight.

“See you tomorrow,” he said, hand on the doorframe, and Seth’s lips twitched into that sad, fond little smile again.

“See you tomorrow,” Seth replied, and he watched Lyor leave.

**Author's Note:**

> My muse is a goblin so of course this ended up being sad. But hey, they got sex, right? That’s what matters


End file.
